Simplicity
by LadySuperhero
Summary: The life of a ninja is not an easy one to live, and those who wish to be given this life must expect the unexpected. But with obstaclels at almost every corner, what else can one expect besides conflict? Even when you have allies, people who you can call your friend, to help you along the way, can that ensure everything will be alright? Sasuke/OC


**Author's Note: **If you're reading this, then thank you for so humbly choosing to spend your time reading the start of my story. I won't jump into the canon plot of Naruto just yet however, just to give a fair warning. I have something in mind first...

I do not own Naruto (poo~)!

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**Chapter One**

_Ayu of Hanako_

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The life of a ninja is a very rough and dangerous one, where the unexpected should very well be expected. Where lives are put on the line everyday as these ninja head off into the line of duty. But even so, in this life, Civilians got caught up in it almost as often as Shinobi. And, unfortunately, many times was an innocent bystander the victim of an unruly death, over someone who faced danger on a regular basis. What a sad thing it was.

Some Shinobi see the difficult end of it, while others were born to accept such a destiny. Families, clans, such as the Uchiha and Hyuga. Both so elite, so well known for their outstanding abilities and skill. Names that one would die to have, just so they could feel the honor of being looked at as someone so... _mighty_.

Other clans, so special in their own individual way, yet not looked at in such a light. Not talked about or praised as much as either of them, yet one clan is different. The Hanako clan, known all throughout Konohagakure just as the others. Their customs, something you'd expect from a family such as theirs.

Similar to the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, the Hanako clan is also well known for their own eye technique. A skill that can be learned by anyone in the clan, if practiced correctly. The Akumagan, or 'Devil Eye' jutsu. Powerful in itself, it is a lot of the time only used among the men of the clan. Why? Because it is usually only the men in this clan that become ninja, the women becoming housewives when they reach appropriate age. The only few who did manage to achieve this goal, either died in battle or didn't stay ninja very long.

But there's someone, one girl, who wants to change all that. To change what the villagers think about the Hanako women, that they are _not_ incapable of becoming Kunoichi. To break those barriers, and maybe even inspire the future generation of Hanako girls to do the same.

"I'm home" Ryusei Hanako said, as he stepped into his home. He was a handsome man with red hair, green eyes, and slightly tanned skin, common traits within the clan.

"Welcome home dear," His wife, Nanao, greeted back. Kissing him on the cheek as she dried her hands with a rag. Nanao was a woman with very dull colored pink hair, with dark blue eyes and pale skin. "Did your mission turn out alright? No scrapes? Bruises?" She questioned, looking him up and down for anything that may be out of place.

"Nanao, please." He said, putting up his hands. "I'm fine, it was barely even a B-rank." He said, resting his hands on her shoulders. He chuckled, making her do the same.

"Oh you know me, I just want you to be alright. I'd hate for you to leave on a mission one day, only for someone to tell me you aren't coming back..." She trailed, then gave a small smile. "I guess I can't help it."

He gave her a big grin, then brought her in for a hug. "Don't be silly, you know your man is stronger than that." He said, flexing his arm then patting it. "Like an Ox!"

"Oh you," Nanao giggled, then they both heard the patter of little feet.

"Daddy!" Their little girl, Ayu, exclaimed. Running down the stairs, stretching out her arms to her father when she got close enough. The spitting image of her father.

"Ayu!" Ryusei said, scooping her up in his arms. "Just the girl I wanted to see, did you miss me while I was gone?" He questioned, to which she gave an excited nod.

"Yeah, lots! How was the mission, what did you do?! Tell me!" She said, bouncing around in joy.

"Alright, alright, slow your roll." He said, putting her back down. "There'll be time for that later, what's the hurry?" This was something Ayu did a lot, he noticed. She was always so eager to hear about his ventures, the action he got in on his missions. He thought it was adorable, those big green eyes looking up at him. Filled with so much curiosity, just eating up anything that he told her.

"It sounds awesome!" She said, throwing her hands up. "I wanna be a ninja too, like you someday!" She said, and her mother stiffened.

"Now Ayu, we've talked about-"

"Of course you can be a ninja!" Ryusei said, cutting off his wife. She looked at him, bewildered, while he only gave her a smile. "My little girl, dreaming so big." He put a hand on her head, ruffling her short hair. "You can do anything you put your mind to, never forget that okay?" He said, "If you wanna be a ninja, you better believe you can be a ninja."

He was proud, she certainly never mentioned any such dream around him before. This must've been a topic that was frequently discussed with Nanao, given her reaction to it. But he could recalled a time when Ayu asked him why there were no Kunoichi in their family. And his response.

_'There just aren't any.'_

He honestly didn't know why, did they choose to just not follow that path? Were they not good enough? The reasons may have well varied, and it wasn't exactly something he constantly thought about, but apparently she had.

Ayu nodded, "Okay, I won't forget daddy!" She said, giggling and fixing her hair once he took his hand away.

"You can go play in your room until dinner is ready Ayu," Nanao said, giving her daughter a smile. "I need to talk to your father."

_'Oh boy...' _Ryusei thought, scratching the back of his head. He'd better mentally prepare himself for this one.

"Okay mommy," She said, then trotted up the stairs to. Nanao turned to Ryusei and crossed her arms.

"Nanao, I know you-"

"You shouldn't fill her head with such things," She said, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with dreaming, but you shouldn't get her hopes up like that. Over the generations, it's been made obvious that Hanako women just aren't cut out for being ninja. Maybe she can get in the medical field, but to be a Kunoichi..." She trailed, then sighed. "And say if she _did _manage to become one, then what would happen? Being young isn't going to save her from the real Shinobi world Ryusei, what's she suppose to do?"

He was silent, then sighed himself. "Believe, Nanao."

"What's that suppose to mean?" She questioned, then he shrugged.

"Exactly what it sounds like, she just has to believe in herself. She has the power to mold her destiny, everyone does. With the right dedication, with the right passion, she can go as far as she wants. Maybe that's what they were lacking..." He trailed. and Nanao already knew what he meant by the last bit.

"Maybe..." She repeated.

Ayu was getting to be the age where parents start to enrolling children into the Ninja Academy, why not let her have a shot at it? She would probably beg to otherwise, and how she did there would show them just how serious she was about becoming a ninja.

"You know, Academy enrollment is coming up." Ryusei pointed out, and Nanao nodded.

"And you think we should enroll her?" She questioned, and he nodded.

"Of course! As parents, we should do what ever we can to make her happy. Being a ninja seems to be something she really wants. If this'll do the trick, then we should go for it."

Nanao, at that moment, recalled all the times that Ayu talked about ninja. Asking questions about Ryusei and what it was like, all the things that they got to do. Questions that Nanao certainly wouldn't know the answers to, Ayu was certainly a curious little thing. That was enough to show her just how much she wanted to do the things her father did, even if Nanao herself wasn't completely comfortable with the idea.

"Well..." She trailed, and Ryusei put an arm around her shoulder.

"C'mon Nanao, it'll be fine. Plus, this could be a really good experience for her." Little did he know, she wasn't thinking about the Academy itself. She was thinking about _after _that, graduation.

Ayu would be a ninja, she'd be going on missions. Fighting, eventually leading to her possibly having to risk her life. Nanao shook her head, "It isn't about that... what if.. what if one day she..." She could barely find the words to explain, then Ryusei caught on to what she was getting at.

"You don't have to worry about that right now Nao," He said, hugging her. "She's only six years old, you won't have to think about that for _years._" He tried to reason, and she sighed.

"I _know _that, but-"

"Mommy, daddy!" Ayu said, catching their attention. She stood at the base of the stairs, "Can I pretty please go to the park?" She asked.

"You can't stay out that long, it's almost four. I don't want you out while the sun is setting." Nanao said, and Ryusei rubbed her shoulder.

"I'll pick her up before then, don't worry." He said, then leaned in a little closer. "We can talk later.." He whispered, and Nanao nodded. "Alright, lets go champ." He picking Ayu up and twirling her around, setting her back down. He grabbed her hand and they both left the house, heading in the direction of the playground.

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After her father left, Ayu looked around at the other children that had been there. There were very few, a group of kids were playing and then there was one all by himself. A blonde haired boy, Naruto, all alone on the swing set, gazing sadly at the children.

She wondered why he'd been sitting by himself, why didn't he ask the children if he could play to? Did they not let him? She looked back at the group, staring. She kinda wanted to join to, she didn't play with other kids that often. And when she did, she never really saw them again.

But no, Ayu was too shy a girl to do that. She didn't really have the courage to walk up to them and ask, and she felt silly for it. She was scared to ask them such a trivial question, yet she wanted to be a ninja? One could really laugh at that, but she _was _only a child.

"Hey!" One of the children said, snapping her out of her thoughts. All of the children were looking at her, even the blonde boy on the swings. "Why are you just standing there?" It was then that she realized, she'd been staring at them the whole while she was thinking to herself.

"O-oh... uhhh..." She stuttered, she didn't really know what to say. Should she just ask now? "I was wondering... if I could play with you..." If she hadn't been standing so close, they almost wouldn't have heard her. They looked at each other, then back at Ayu.

"Sure... we guess." One kid said, then gave a small smile. Ayu smiled then jogged all the way over to them, she looked at the blonde boy again and saw that he was looking at the dirt. He really did look lonely, and it made her feel really bad.

"Hey!" She shouted, catching the boy's attention. Making the others give her weird looks, "Do you wanna play to?" She asked him. And his eyes lit up, but then he looked saddened when one of the other children spoke.

"What are you asking _him _that for?! No he can't play!" A boy said, Ayu looking confused.

"Why not?" She asked, then the kid put an arm around her shoulder. Leaning in for a whisper.

"My dad told me to stay away from that kid, he's weird." He said, and Ayu turned around to look at said boy. In time to see him look back down, was he listening to them?

"He doesn't look weird..." Ayu trailed.

"Look, are you playing with us or not?" One child, with a nasily voice, asked. Growing impatient, "Why do you care care about him so much anyway?"

"He looks lonely," She said, then the kids narrowed their eyes at her.

"Why do you care?" A girl asked, but Ayu didn't answer. She didn't know what to say, why were they suddenly acting like this towards her. The girl eventually scoffed, then turned her back to her. "_Fine_, since you're so worried about the weirdo, you can go play with _him _instead." She said, walking away. All of the others following. "Leave us alone."

Ayu felt a little sad, what exactly was it about the boy they didn't like? They treated him that way just because some parents didn't like him? With that said, why'd the parents feel that way towards him? She slumped her shoulders, then turned around to look at him. Still looking at the ground.

She walked up to Naruto, then sat on the empty swing next to him. Making him snap his head in her direction, looking surprised. He only stared at her, and Ayu finally met his gaze.

"What?" She asked, wondering why he was looking at her like that. Had he never been this close to someone before?

He didn't answer right away, but when he did she could hear the stammer in his voice. "W-why aren't you.. playing with them?" He asked, then she looked out at the other kids. They moved even further away from the Naruto.

"Because they're mean," She answered, puffing out her cheeks. She started to swing, then looked at Naruto. By the looks of him, he was a quiet kid, and that made him easier for Ayu to talk to him. "My name's Ayu, what's yours?"

He looked a little surprised that she was even talking to him, "... Naruto..." He answered, beginning to swing like her.

"It's nice to meet you Naruto," She happily said with a smile, and he returned it with an even brighter one.

They played on the swings and small talked until her father came back to get her, when they both heard Ryusei calling for her Naruto stopped swinging. He looked... sad, he didn't want her to leave. But she had to, she gave him a goodbye and ran to her father. Leaving Naruto to watch as she did.

On the way home, Ryusei had Ayu hiked up on his shoulders. She rested her head on top of his, and left her arms to hang loosely around his neck.

"I see you made a friend today," He commented, making Ayu smile.

"Yeah I did, his name is Naruto!" She said, even though Ryusei was well aware of who he was. "He's _really_ fun, the other kids would let him play their game to. But they should've, he's great."

"What other kids?" He curiously asked, there was no one but Naruto and Ayu their when he'd arrived.

"There was this group of kids that called Naruto a weirdo, and said he couldn't play with them." She answered, "One of them told me that his daddy said to stay away from him..." She trailed, and Ryusei honestly wasn't surprised to hear it.

Everyone in Konoha knew that Naruto was the host of the nine-tailed beast, the monster that had killed many in the village. Causing one of the worst massacres they've ever had, it was no surprise to him that people would feel that way towards him. Going so far as to make their children treat him like an outcast.

But to him, they weren't angry. They _feared_ him, feared that the same thing would happen twice if they weren't careful. Trapped inside him was something that they didn't understand, they just knew it was something dangerous and deadly.

"Do people not like Naruto daddy?" Ayu asked, and Ryusei didn't pause in his walking. He half expected that question.

"Well... I don't know pumpkin." He didn't really know what else to say, she was far too young to know the real truth behind it. And he was sure other parents hadn't given their children clear reasons as to _why _they told their children to avoid him. How could they?

"... Do you want me to stay away from Naruto to?" She asked, and he was surprised to hear it. That made him stop in his tracks. Naruto, he didn't really know how he felt about the kid. He certainly didn't treat him like the other villagers did, but...

"No," He answered, resuming his walk. "If he's a nice kid, then you can talk to him all you want to." Ayu smiled at that.

"Okay..." She was glad to hear that, she didn't know what everyone else's problem was but Naruto was a good person. She could feel that while speaking to him, the way he got treated wasn't fair. But even if her father had said yes, she would've hung out with him anyway.

Because if not her, who else would try to be his friend. He certainly need one.

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**Author's Note: **I wanted to start from Ayu's childhood then work my way into the canon plot, that way once we get to the good stuff you'll already know what her past was like and understand her relationships with some of the characters. I figured this would be the better way to do it, instead of adding in random flashbacks in the middle of the story. Let me know all of your thoughts and feelings. And please be honest, okay?

_Review, it motivates me... _


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